I finished this piece.
2026 Pyrography (burning on wood) and watercolor. The work is almost finished. All that remains is to start spraying it with varnish and pressing it to level it. I think many have heard the myth about the titan Atlas, who had to hold up the sky as punishment. In this work, I changed this myth in my own way. In my version, the titan (tree) is in love with the sun and this love gives him the strength to hold up the sky. But, although the official title of this work is Titan the Romantic, in my mind it also has a second name - The Path of Art. Along with this title, a slightly different interpretation of the painting is possible. The tree is me (and probably many other artists). Love for the sun, which gives strength, is love for creativity and the joy it gives. The sky, chains and the stone from which the tree grew - these are all the disappointments and suffering that arise from unsuccessful attempts to sell the fruits of my creativity.
I have been creative for many years and for a long time I had a dream - to earn at least a minimum wage steadily from my art. But for now, it seemed that this seemingly simple dream was completely unattainable. Over the years, I invested more and more in my art. So much time, so much effort, so much money. But that dream was only a distant dream. Finally, quite recently, I began to doubt the necessity of art. Not only my art, but art in general. Because when I am on Facebook, I see that other artists who ask for very little for their work often publish works that are several years old and still cannot sell them. Therefore, I intended to bury my dream of a minimum wage within myself. This painting was to be my (at least temporary) farewell. Not to creativity. To attempts to earn money from art. After this work, I intended to simply create for myself and hang these works on my walls. Because even if my art is unnecessary for others, it still gives me meaning and happiness. Therefore, I put all the joy and all the bitterness I have accumulated over the years into this painting. But then something happened that I almost didn't expect. The irony of life. When I was finishing this farewell work, my work caught the attention of two art patrons. After talking to them, I no longer feel so hopeless and unnecessary. Therefore, this post is far from as gloomy and sad as it was in my imagination a few days ago. I have found some hope again. And I am determined to continue fighting the battle that until recently seemed lost to me. And therefore I wish other artists and creators not to lose hope either. Anyway, one of my favorite quotes is - a small probability means that it is not zero. Good luck to everyone.
